


All a Part of the Job

by Daiya_Darko



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Deathfic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-06
Updated: 2013-04-06
Packaged: 2017-12-07 15:08:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/749909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daiya_Darko/pseuds/Daiya_Darko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kirk said he would bring him back alive. It's a good thing he didn't promise.</p>
            </blockquote>





	All a Part of the Job

_“Relax, Scotty,” Kirk clapped the engineer on his shoulder and grinned. “I’ll bring him back safe and sound.”_

_Scotty nodded curtly, loudly exhaling through his nose. “Aye, see that you do.”_

_Chekov just smiled._

_He was always smiling._

Scotty is waiting outside the shuttle craft dock when they return. Trying to maintain an air of cool, collectedness as acting captain in front of the others, he forces his hands behind his back and keeps his head high. Inside, he’s a mess of nerves. The mission was supposed to be simple: diplomatically force the Klingons out of the peaceful planet and help treat their wounded. It lasted for two weeks. Two weeks they were gone, and their communicators had fallen out of contact somehow a week in. Scotty tried not to worry, just kept barking out orders and commands. He wanted to go down there, wanted to run in screaming and guns blazing. They had his boy down there, captain be damned.

Jim Kirk would always meet death face to face and walk away laughing; Pavel Chekov had only glimpsed death’s shadow from behind.

The craft is beat up, just barely running by the time it landed and braked. Out the door, Kirk limps out, shirt nearly ripped and burned off of him. He walks with his head low, so Scotty can’t see the bruises and cuts on his face, but through the torn fabric, he can see his captain had just barely made it out alive. Spock and the others are in no better condition; everyone looks run ragged, holding on by the skin of their teeth.

Scotty looks around nervously for Pavel, but doesn’t see him walking back with the others. What he _does_ see is McCoy carrying a small, pale, limp body in his arms.

Something in the back of Scotty’s mind screamsfor him to run. Run to the transporter room, beam to surface, and fight every damned Klingon that was left. Desecrate their corpses, spit on their graves, kill any survivors.

But he keeps his cool, because as acting captain, it would be unfit for him to show such a break in character.

Kirk steps through the doors and finally lifts his head. It‘s the first time Scotty had ever seen such broken, apologetic despair on Kirk’s face. He hadn’t even thought Kirk capable of being apologetic.

“I’m so sorry,” he blurts out, panting and out of breath just from walking.

Scotty looks as if he wants to say something, but he bites back his reply and calls out a quick order to alert medical. As the away team comes in, waiting for medical help, Scotty walks over to McCoy, peering into his arms.

It’s Chekov, alright, and even in death he still almost appears to be smiling.

“He fought tooth and nail,” McCoy offers. “He fought harder than the rest of us. Got a few kills under his belt too.” McCoy chuckles bitterly before his frown resumes. “Kid was a damn sight to see.”

Scotty hates this, hates being in command because he’s still responsible for the crew’s morale. They need to celebrate everyone who is still alive and honor those who have fallen. Work will commence at 0600 hours regardless of his feelings.

He catches Kirk’s eye, and with a knowing nod, Kirk announces, “I relieve you.”

Scotty doesn’t hesitate to snatch Pavel’s body from McCoy, who steps back to give him space. Scotty falls to the ground, openly sobbing over Pavel in his arms. He doesn’t care who sees or what they’ll say in the days, even years to come. Right now, he needs to feel this, needs to have closure because this is Starfleet, and there will always be death and danger around every corner. He’s third in command and they have another away mission planned in two weeks. He’ll have to get it together to be able to lead again in case things fall apart.

But he doesn’t want to go on, not without Pavel. Not without the happiest person on this whole damned crew to raise everyone’s spirits with a jaunty old Earth tune or cute puns. It isn’t fair, because they _need_ him. He’s their best navigator, their moral support, their shining beacon of hope and encouragement. When even Kirk is tired and stressed, it’s Pavel who comes through with a rousing few words to life them up.

It feels like all the joy in life has been sucked out of him, and Scotty doesn’t like it; hell, Pavel wouldn’t like it. Pavel wouldn’t appreciate the maudlin display or allowing his death to interfere with Scotty’s work, so Scotty tries to pull it together. He takes a few moments to wipe his face clean, then stands with Pavel’s body. He turns to face Kirk, and with his head held high, calmly says, “I am relieved, sir.”


End file.
